Overview
- Eknath Shinde was en route to Murbad on Thursday afternoon after taking off around 3:30 pm from the Mahalaxmi Racecourse helipad for a wedding visit.
- Near Airoli, the pilot spotted a fast-moving storm and turned back, leading to a safe landing within minutes at the Pawan Hans helipad in Juhu.
- Officials said all passengers were safe with no injuries, including Shinde and key aides Prabhakar Kale, Balsingh Rajput and Vinayak Patrudkar.
- A dust storm and strong winds reduced visibility across parts of Thane, Kalyan and Navi Mumbai as the weather office warned of light to moderate rain and thunderstorms.
- Most outlets relied on the Deputy CM’s office for details of the safe diversion, while a single report claiming helicopter damage remains unverified by other sources.